Ole Miss becomes less reliant on first-year players

OXFORD – In retrospect, Ole Miss should have redshirted Channing Ward. That just was not an option at the time.

Two years ago, Ward was a four-star defensive end and the crown jewel of coach Hugh Freeze’s first recruiting class. But he was raw coming out of Aberdeen, and the NCAA clearinghouse not qualifying him academically until Aug. 17 only made the situation worse. Two weeks later, though, Ward was taking the field against Central Arkansas.

“It would really have done him justice if he could have had a redshirt year,” Freeze said.

Two years later, Ward is still trying to find a place. He never had much success at end, and Ole Miss tried him at tight end in the spring. His position this fall will depend on where Ole Miss needs depth, Freeze said.

Now counterpoint that with Ole Miss’ 2014 recruiting class, and it becomes clear where the program has progressed. It’s not only about talent (Ole Miss put eight players on the preseason All-SEC team, two years after having one third-team guy). It’s also about the numbers. Not a single high school recruit will report to training camp in two weeks and be handed a starting spot.

“That’s refreshing,” Freeze said. “We’re returning some kids that we think are quality players in this league, and we don’t have to depend on freshmen again. There are a few spots where you need them to be ready to play, but it’s not anything like it was in year one.”

Safety C.J. Hampton is a good example of this trend. A four-star recruit himself, the former Meridian star picked Ole Miss over Alabama and enrolled in January so he could go through 15 spring practices. He’ll likely spend his freshman season backing up senior All-American Cody Prewitt, playing a certain number of plays each game that will allow Prewitt to rest.

“I’m really proud of the progress he has made so far,” Prewitt said. “He learned the defense a lot faster than I thought he would. When he puts that knowledge with his raw athleticism, it’s going to allow me to get a break every once in a while and him go in and it not set back the defense.”

Callaway’s Rod Taylor is expected to start the season at offensive tackle, a position at which Ole Miss needs depth after losing Austin Golson to a transfer. But junior college signee Fahn Cooper and redshirt sophomore Robert Conyers are the top two contenders at right tackle, so Taylor may be in more of a reserve role.

It’s the same for wide receiver Markell Park (Purvis) and tight end Sammie Epps (Greenwood) on the offense. They’ll play, but probably not as much as Laquon Treadwell and Evan Engram did.

And on defense, where Ole Miss returns nine starters, there are guys standing out in offseason workouts who are going to push for time.

“Breeland (Speaks) moves pretty well,” defensive end C.J. Johnson said. “He still has to get his weight down. He’s a little bit over 300. Garrald McDowell is pretty raw, but he’s going to be a good player for us. … Alvin and Calvin Moore, the twins, look really, really good.”